On New Year’s Day, Lu Yin Zhen and Song Mianfeng went to Song’s house for dinner.

After a few meetings, Lu Yin Zhen had become quite comfortable chatting with Song Shaochen and Su Jieyi.

Song Zhanyue was not very happy and stood on the balcony in the cold wind. When Song Mianfeng came out to see her, he was greeted with a “hmph.”

Song Mianfeng paused for a moment, then sat down beside her with a smile. “Who made my little sister unhappy? Tell me, I’ll help you deal with them.”

Song Zhanyue turned her head away, burying her face in her thick scarf, showing no interest in talking to him.

Song Mianfeng furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, and tentatively asked, “Did Mu Zanglin bully you?”

Song Zhanyue hmphed again.

“What’s with the hmph?” Song Mianfeng pinched her cheek. “Let’s talk inside. It’s not cold there.”

Perhaps after not seeing them enter the house for a while, Lu Yin Zhen also came out. He walked over and stood by Song Mianfeng’s side, blocking the cold wind. “It’s so cold outside, why don’t we go in?”

Song Zhanyue glanced at him and complained softly, “Brother Yin Zhen, my brother bullied me!”

“When did I bully you?” Song Mianfeng said with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “I came out to talk to you, and you hmphed at me twice. Clearly, you’re giving me the cold shoulder. Why are you turning the tables on me?”

“You and Mu Zanglin.” Song Zhenyue pouted. “Both bullied me.”

Song Mianfeng chuckled after realizing what was going on. “Did he tell you?”

Lu Yin Zhen didn’t quite understand the silent exchange between the siblings. “Tell her what?”

Song Mianfeng explained, “The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.”

Song Mianfeng had mentioned Mu Zanglin and the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons to Lu Yin Zhen before. At that time, they had joked about how small the world was and how Song Zhenyue had unexpectedly become acquainted with their favorite author and ended up together with him. Moreover, Lu Yin Zhen had even invested in a related project. However, Song Zhanyue was still unaware of these details.

Now, it seemed that Mu Zanglin had confessed everything to Song Zhanyue, who was upset because her brother had kept it from her. Seeing this, Song Zhanyue looked at Lu Yin Zhen and then at Song Mianfeng, becoming even more displeased. “You both knew, and I was the only one kept in the dark.”

“I’m the only one who’s clueless, like a fool.”

“I found out last time after we had dinner, and I asked a bit more, that’s how I knew,” Song Mianfeng coaxed her in a gentle tone. “He asked me not to tell you, saying he wanted to tell you himself. I thought since he would tell you sooner or later, what’s the harm in it, so I didn’t say anything.”

Initially, Song Zhanyue was only slightly upset that Song Mianfeng had helped Mu Zanglin keep it from her. However, after Song Mianfeng’s gentle explanation, most of her anger dissipated. Then, she heard Lu Yin Zhen say, “If you’re that unhappy, shall I withdraw my investment from that project?” She suddenly became anxious.

“I, I’m not unhappy anymore,” Song Zhanyue said, afraid that he wouldn’t believe her, then smiled softly and said, “What does that project have to do with anything? Please don’t withdraw your investment…”

“He is teasing you,” Song Mianfeng tapped her forehead gently. “Give him a break.”

Lu Yin Zhen smiled and said, “Let’s go inside; it’s cold out here.”

Song Zhanyue got up and went inside, while Song Mianfeng held Lu Yin Zhen’s hand and used his strength to get up from the rattan chair. However, after chatting outside for a while, Lu Yin Zhen’s hand had already turned cold. Song Mianfeng pulled him into the living room and sat by the heater to warm up.

As the days passed and the New Year approached, during dinner, Song’s parents inevitably asked Lu Yin Zhen about his plans for the holiday. Lu Yin Zhen said, “I plan to stay until after New Year’s Day and then return to City B. I’ll come back later…”

Song Mianfeng didn’t react much when he heard this and didn’t say anything, indicating that the two of them had already discussed it.

Song Shaochen glanced at Song Mianfeng and thought that his son was becoming more mature, feeling quite pleased. “My wife and I want to visit your grandparents. Would it be convenient before or after the New Year?”

Song Mianfeng looked up in surprise. “Dad?”

He hadn’t mentioned this matter to his parents yet, but he didn’t expect Song Shaochen to bring it up first…

Lu Yin Zhen fell silent for a moment before speaking, “Wouldn’t it be too troublesome for you and Auntie…?”

“My husband and I both feel that the elders from both families should meet.” Su Jieyi smiled and said, “Your grandparents are getting old, so it’s only right for us to pay them a visit.”

The elders of both families meeting implied something significant, which went without saying.

Song Zhanyue sipped her soup quietly, agreeing, “They should meet, and it’s good for them to sit down and have a simple meal together. Although the domestic environment isn’t very friendly to you both, apart from not getting married and having a wedding, we shouldn’t skip any other formalities. Otherwise, it would be unfair to our brothers.”

Lu Yin Zhen nodded. “I’ll ask my grandparents first and then make arrangements.”

…

In the evening, Lu Yin Zhen called Meng Yushan. At that time, Song Mianfeng was packing the things he bought for Meng Yushan and Mrs. Meng, putting them in a small suitcase piece by piece.

After the call, Lu Yin Zhen said there was no need to pack.

“Grandpa and Grandma plan to come to City S for a visit.”

Upon hearing this, Song Mianfeng furrowed his brows. “How can we let them both go through so much trouble?”

“It’s Grandpa’s decision…” Lu Yin Zhen had been on the phone for a while and sounded a bit tired. He had advised and persuaded, but Meng Yushan had always been strong-willed. Once he made a decision, no one in the family could persuade him otherwise. Moreover, Grandma Meng also felt that Lu Yin Zhen had gotten the better end of the deal by being with Song Mianfeng, so it was only fair for them to visit City S. It also showed their appreciation for Song Mianfeng.

“When are they coming? How long will they stay? Where will they stay?” Song Mianfeng put down what he was holding and began to worry about other things. “Will they stay here, or at your place? We have spare rooms at home, but they need to be tidied up. But my place is not very big, and I don’t know if they’ll be comfortable…”

“The specific timing hasn’t been decided yet. They’ll let me know after they’ve bought their tickets, and we’ll go pick them up then. It’ll be after the New Year.” Lu Yin Zhen thought for a moment and said, “They can stay at my place. Meng Huai can stay downstairs, and Uncle Ze can take care of their meals conveniently.”

“I’ll have to go over and clean up in advance.”

“Just hire a housekeeper.” Lu Yin Zhen found it amusing to see him fussing over every detail. “Sit down first; there’s no rush.”

“Even if there’s a housekeeper, I still need to go and check and tidy up,” Song Mianfeng sat down and took a sip of water before continuing, “If I don’t see it for myself and make sure everything’s arranged properly, how can I be at ease?”

Lu Yin Zhen teased him, “You’re becoming more and more housewifely, like a busy little wife.”

Song Mianfeng gave him a sideways glance. “Who wants to be your wife?”

Lu Yin Zhen still smiled. “You call me ‘husband’ all the time; why not acknowledge it now?”

Song Mianfeng seemed surprised that he had picked up on the word “husband” and was making an issue of it. After a brief moment of silence, his ears turned slightly red as he explained, “You know very well that this ‘husband’ isn’t the same as that ‘husband’.”

“What do you mean by this and that?” Lu Yin Zhen gently kissed the corner of his lips and said word by word, “My Mr. Song, remember this well. You only have me as your husband.”

Song Mianfeng’s eyebrows softened, and he softly responded, “Okay.”

…

When Meng Yushan and Meng Lao came to City S, Song Mianfeng declined his work and went to the airport with Lu Yin Zhen to pick them up.

After not seeing each other for some time, Meng Yushan and Mrs. Meng still looked fairly robust, but the long journey had left them looking a bit tired.

After cleaning the house thoroughly and changing the bedding, Song Mianfeng had arranged everything properly and informed his parents about Meng Yushan and Mrs. Meng’s visit to City S.

As the New Year approached, with only a few family members in Song’s house and only Meng Yushan and Mrs. Meng from the Meng’s family, they decided to meet on New Year’s Eve and have a family reunion.

The reunion dinner was held at the Song family’s house. Su Jieyi and Song Mianfeng cooked together in the kitchen, while Song Shaochen and Meng Yushan set up a chessboard and played chess. Lu Yin Zhen watched them play, feeling amused by their back-and-forth moves. Song Zhanyue kept Mrs. Meng company, chatting with her and showing her many childhood photos.

Being twins, Song Mianfeng and Song Zhenyue had experienced being dressed identically by their parents when they were younger. So when Mrs. Meng saw photos of Song Mianfeng wearing a floral dress or with a beauty mark drawn on his cheek, it reminded her of those times. These photos were treasures collected by Su Jieyi and rarely shown to others. Lu Yin Zhen, seeing them for the first time, secretly took several photos with his phone and created a private album, locking it away.

After dinner, the family gathered in the living room. Lu Yin Zhen served tea to Song Shaochen and Su Jieyi, while Song Mianfeng served tea to Meng Yushan and Mrs. Meng. Despite the lack of a wedding ceremony and a large gathering of relatives, they performed the traditional rites of paying respects to heaven and earth and their ancestors. With the final bow, they made a vow to grow old together, completing the ritual.

In the end, both Song Mianfeng and Lu Yin Zhen received four red envelopes each from their parents, and they started addressing them as “Mom and Dad” and “Grandpa and Grandma.”

That night, Song Mianfeng was extremely happy. After seeing Meng Yushan and Mrs. Meng off, he called Fu Qingshan and Wang Letian, inviting them to join him.

Fu Qingshan was tired of his family pressuring him about marriage, so he used this opportunity to leave home. Wang Letian, not wanting to return to his family, stayed in his small apartment alone. When he received the call, he rushed over immediately.

Since Wu An had gone back to his hometown and couldn’t make it, he asked Wang Letian to drink on his behalf in the group chat.

The four of them met at the designated Yanzhou Park, where they had supper and drank. Along the park’s path, there were children playing with fireworks and firecrackers, creating a lively atmosphere.

The night was lively and festive, and the atmosphere was warm.

If not for the late hour, with most shops closed, Song Mianfeng would have dragged Lu Yin Zhen to pick out a ring.

He didn’t need a proposal or a ceremony; he just wanted to put a ring on Lu Yin Zhen’s finger and keep his Mr. Lu by his side.

That night, Song Mianfeng drank a lot of alcohol and called Lu Yin Zhen “husband” numerous times.

Calling out someone’s name with such an affectionate nickname was already quite daring, let alone doing it in such a romantic and touching manner.

Lu Yin Zhen felt intoxicated as well, deeply immersed in Song Mianfeng’s affection.

Since the day he met Song Mianfeng, he had never been sober from his love.

And he didn’t need to be sober in the future.

He was willing to sink into this love forever.

---

End of the story.